Healthful News and Resources

South Nassau in the Community

08/06/2007

Cervical Disc Implant is a New Remedy for Severe Neck Pain

Oceanside, N.Y. — People suffering with the chronic severe neck and arm pain caused by a ruptured or degenerative cervical disc have a new option to consider: South Nassau Communities Hospital spine surgeon Michael Shapiro, MD, is among the first on Long Island to offer an implantable disc that repairs the damaged cervical disc and eliminates the chronic, debilitating pain it causes.

The new implant, called the “PRESTIGE™ Artificial Cervical Disc System,” consists of two metallic components that are designed to act as a pivot point, which allows the repaired spinal area to maintain its range of motion. Minimally invasive surgical technology is used to implant the disc, resulting in faster recovery, reduced postoperative discomfort and less scarring for patients.

“The PRESTIGE™ eliminates the need for human bone to perform a fusion, preserves the natural motion of the neck, and may reduce the likelihood of stress on the surrounding vertebrae, which could lead to further degeneration in adjacent discs,” said Dr. Shapiro, Chief of the Division of Spine Surgery at South Nassau Communities Hospital’s Center for Advanced Orthopedics.

The PRESTIGE™ Cervical Disc recently received a unanimous recommendation for approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Devices Advisory Panel. The recommendation was based on data produced by a long-term comparison, analysis and follow up of a group 276 patients treated with the implant and a group of 265 patients that received surgical fusion. In addition, over the past two years more than 500 artificial cervical discs have been implanted in patients in Europe without post-operative complication

Currently, cervical disc fusion is the most common form of surgery for treating cervical degenerative disc disease. The surgery involves replacing the injured disk with bone from the patient’s hip or a human cadaver and then fusing the new bone to the vertebrae. This ultimate fusion of bone limits a patient’s ability to move the neck and may put added stress on the vertebrae. The recovery after surgery is lengthy and arduous, with patients requiring 6-12 weeks to fully recover.

More than half of people over age 40 have cervical disc disease. Its symptoms include pain and numbness radiating down the arm, chronic neck pain, and difficulty sleeping as a result of the condition. Nearly 200,000 cervical procedures are performed in the U.S. annually.

“I am eager to begin providing this surgical innovation to the patients who will benefit from it,” said Dr. Shapiro. “The FDA trial and patient outcomes have demonstrated that the PRESTIGE will be an effective surgical option for sufferers of cervical disc disease.”